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Category Archives: Technology

Yahoo faces investigation over email privacy

It never rains but it pours! With public trust in freefall over the delayed announcement of a large-scale Yahoo account hack, the company’s decision to scan clients’ email accounts on behalf of US authorities has fuelled discussions in Europe over the thorny issue of privacy.

According to Reuters, Yahoo is facing criticism over its compliance with a classified US government request to comb through customers’ incoming emails for information specified by US intelligence officials. European politicians have since called on the European Commission (EC) to investigate the incident – which could derail the progress of the transatlantic data sharing deal agreed earlier this year.

‘Any form of mass surveillance infringing on the fundamental privacy rights of EU citizens would be viewed as a matter of considerable concern,’ commented Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner in a statement.

Yahoo’s only response was that it ‘complies with the laws of the United States’, declining to confirm whether it scanned users’ emails or to say if Europeans’ emails were intercepted during the operation. The episode is likely to touch a nerve with Europeans who fear that the ‘Privacy Shield’ data sharing deal doesn’t offer enough protection against mass surveillance by US intelligence agencies.

Unfair advantage

Tech giant Apple has been hit with Europe’s biggest-ever tax penalty after Brussels ruled that the company had received what amounted to illegal state aid from Ireland. The company will be required to pay billions of euro in back taxes as the European Commission seeks to redress the aggressive tax avoidance strategies employed by the world’s biggest corporations.

The judgment follows a three-year investigation into claims that Dublin violated EU law by granting Apple an advantage not available to other companies. It’s likely that the decision will be the subject of appeals by both Apple and Ireland – both of which deny any wrongdoing.

Law enforcement versus individual privacy

The mood between tech companies and the US government has been less than cordial in recent months following a series of stand-offs over law enforcement and customer privacy issues.

In the most recent high-profile case, a US appeal court has ruled that the government cannot force Microsoft to turn over to them data stored overseas and has rejected an earlier ruling that found the tech giant in contempt for failing to aid a narcotics prosecution.

The internet of things

Japanese telecoms business SoftBank has made a lightning-quick deal to buy British smartphone chip company ARM Holdings for $32 billion in a bid to become a major player in the ‘internet of things’ technology market.

End of an era

Yahoo is the ultimate internet survivor. For many millennials, the veteran portal was their first introduction to the worldwide web – an exciting door to a brave new world. More recently it’s become an anachronism, an ageing player outclassed by fresh-faced newcomers.

Big brother is listening

A recent study by researchers at Stanford University shows how details obtained from telephone calls as part of routine surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA) may pose a threat to privacy of ordinary citizens.

Shockingly, despite only having access to anonymous ‘metadata’ on people’s calls and texts, and without seeing the contents of any of the communications, the Stanford scientists managed to ascertain individuals’ names, addresses and the names of their partners.